Indonesia To Penalize Cruise Liner for Raja Ampat Accident

A recent accident involving a 90-metre British ship called Caledonian Sky outraged locals and foreigners alike in recent weeks when it crashed into the coral reef near Indonesia’s popular tourist spot of Raja Ampat.

The accident happened on March 4, 2017 after the ship sailed from Waigeo Island in West Papua. The ship accidentally got trapped in shallow water, hit the reef and caused harm to the area’s natural marine ecosystem, which is also one of the main draws for tourists.

The government has put forth several possible penalties. Firstly, it is confirmed that the act was against environmental law No. 39 of year 2009 which calls for a minimum of three years’ prison time and a fine.

Secondly, the accident was allegedly against a separate civil law that will soon be brought up in international court, the government says.

The evaluation team has reportedly asked Noble Caledonia to pay a fine between US$800 and US$1,200 per square metre of reef damaged. This means, in total, the amount of money that Noble Caledonia would need to pay could be anywhere between US$10 million and US$16 million.

Although the crash has destroyed eight types of major coral reefs including Acropora, Porites, Montipora and Stylophora, locals and tourism stakeholders hope Raja Ampat can still attract tourists from all over the world with the site’s beauty and biodiversity.